Dahlia plant named ‘VDTG31’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘VDTG31’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark-colored foliage; freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescence form; inflorescences with orange red-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘VDTG31’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘VDTG31’.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lisse, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact container-type Dahlia cultivars that have a freely branching growth habit, early and freely flowering habit, daisy inflorescence form, attractive ray floret coloration, and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

The new Dahlia originated from an open-pollination in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer of 2003 of a proprietary seedling selection of Dahlia hybrida identified as code R, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified selection of Dahlia hybrida, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer of 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings since the spring of 2005 in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar VDTG31 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘VDTG31’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘VDTG31’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark-colored foliage.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescence form.     -   6. Inflorescences with orange red-colored ray florets.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Plants of the new Dahlia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia are more freely branching than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia and the female parent selection         differ in ray floret coloration as plants of the female parent         selection have red-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahlia cultivar Scura, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Scura in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia were more compact and bushier than         plants of the cultivar Scura.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia had darker colored foliage than         plants of the cultivar Scura.     -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia had larger inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Scura.     -   4. Plants of the new Dahlia and the cultivar Scura differed in         ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Dahlia. The photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dahlia.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘VDTG31’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lisse. The Netherlands during the summer and autumn in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Dahlia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C. Plants were pinched one time about three to four weeks after planting. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about three to four months old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida cultivar VDTG31. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Dahlia hydrida identified as code R, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified selection of Dahlia             hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 20 days             at temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 22 days             at temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; 157D in             color. If tubers develop, they are corky in texture and 199D             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright to somewhat             outwardly spreading; mounded plant form. Freely basal             branching with about nine primary lateral branches; dense             and bushy plant habit. Inflorescences held above the foliage             on strong peduncles. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 25 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 cm. Internode length: About 3 cm to 7 cm. Aspect: Erect             to about 20° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Towards the base, 187A; towards the             apex, 187C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves opposite; leaves may be single or             compound with three or five leaflets.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Aristulate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate and divided; sinuses divergent.         -   Length.—Single leaves: About 6.5 cm. Compound leaves with             three leaflets: About 11 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 13 cm.         -   Width.—Single leaves: About 2.5 cm. Compound leaves with             three leaflets: About 7 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 9.5 cm.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 139A overlain with             200A. Developing foliage, lower surface: More green than             191A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 200A; venation,             187A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 191B             overlain with 200B; venation, 187D.         -   Petiole length.—About 2 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—187A.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—177B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Inflorescences face upright to slightly             outwardly. Freely flowering habit; about 20 inflorescences             develop per plant. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences             not fragrant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously during the summer             and autumn in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about 20 days on the plant and for about four             to five days as a cut flower.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Towards the base, 147A;             mid-section, 187A; towards the apex, 169A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle             height: About 1.4 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.5 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Mucronulate. Base: Attenuate. Aspect:             Initially upright to roughly perpendicular to the peduncle.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny             to velvety. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             eight arranged in a single whorl. Color: When opening, upper             surface: 169A. When opening, lower surface: 170A. Fully             opened, upper surface: Towards the base, 45A; towards the             mid-section, 34A; towards the apex, 26B to becoming closer             to 23B with development. Fully opened, lower surface:             Towards the base, 34B; towards the apex, 34A. Color becoming             closer to 23C with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate. Length: About             1.4 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 110. Color: Immature: Towards the apex,             187A; mid-section, 180A; towards the base, 16C. Mature:             Towards the apex, 17B; mid-section, 180A; towards the base,             16C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About five arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Color, upper surface: Close to 48A; towards the             apex, 200A. Color, lower surface: 200A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: Terminal peduncle: About 7 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 9 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 7 cm.             Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to             about 20° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             187B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             Five. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: 1D.             Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 1.9 mm.             Anther color: 17B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             20A. Gynoecium: Quantity per ray or disc floret: One. Pistil             length: About 2.3 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma             color: 13C. Style length: About 1.7 mm. Style color: 150B.             Ovary color: 9B. Seeds: Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Color: 200D. Fruits: Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter:             About 1.6 cm. Color: 187A to darker than 187A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dahlia have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 45° C. 

1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘VDTG31’ as illustrated and described. 